Demeter Demeter See More Demeter Pictures > Demeter was the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea . It was believed that Demeter made the crops grow each year; thus the first loaf of bread made from the annual harvest was offered to her. She was the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane. Demeter was intimately associated with the seasons. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the underworld . In her anger at her daughter's loss, Demeter laid a curse on the world that caused plants to wither and die, and the land to become desolate. Zeus , alarmed for the barren earth, sought for Persephone 's return. However, because she had eaten while in the underworld , Hades had a claim on her. Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underworld . During these months Demeter would grieve for her daughter's absence, withdrawing her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return brought the spring.

Demeter was also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were huge festivals held every five years and very important events for many centuries. Yet, little is known about them as those attending were sworn to secrecy. It is thought that the central tenet around which the Mysteries revolved was that just like grain returns every spring after its harvest and the winter lull, so does the human soul after the death of the body, reincarnated in a next life. Demeter Is also called Ceres, Sito, Thesmophoros. Demeter | Greek mythology | Britannica.com Greek mythology Demeter, in Greek religion , daughter of the deities Cronus and Rhea , sister and consort of Zeus (the king of the gods), and goddess of agriculture . Her name indicates that she is a mother. Demeter, statue, mid-4th century bc; in the British Museum, London. Greek/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images Demeter is rarely mentioned by Homer , nor is she included among the Olympian gods, but the roots of her legend are probably ancient. The legend centred on the story of her daughter Persephone , who was carried off by Hades , the god of the underworld.

Demeter went in search of Persephone and, during her journey, revealed her secret rites to the people of Eleusis , who had hospitably received her (see Eleusinian Mysteries ). Her distress at her daughter’s disappearance was said to have diverted her attention from the harvest and caused a famine. In addition to Zeus, Demeter had a lover, Iasion (a Cretan), to whom she bore Plutus (Wealth; i.e., abundant produce of the soil). Demeter appeared most commonly as a grain goddess. The name Ioulo (from ioulos, “grain sheaf”) has been regarded as identifying her with the sheaf and as proving that the cult of Demeter originated in the worship of the grain mother. The influence of Demeter, however, was not limited to grain but extended to vegetation generally and to all the fruits of the earth, except the bean (the latter being the province of the hero Cyamites). In that wider sense Demeter was akin to Gaea (Earth), with whom she had several epithets in common, and was sometimes identified with the Great Mother of the Gods (Cybele, also identified with Rhea).

Another important aspect of Demeter was that of a divinity of the underworld; she was worshiped as such at Sparta , and especially at the festival of Chthonia at Hermione in Argolis, where a cow was sacrificed by four old women. The epithets Erinys (“Avenger”) and Melaina (“the Black One”) as applied to Demeter were localized in Arcadia and stress the darker side of her character. Similar Topics Isis Demeter also appeared as a goddess of health, birth, and marriage. A certain number of political and ethnic titles were assigned to her, the most important being Amphiktyonis, as patron goddess of the Amphictyonic League, subsequently well known in connection with the temple at Delphi . Among the agrarian festivals held in honour of Demeter were the following: (1) Haloa, apparently derived from halōs (“threshing floor”), begun at Athens and finished at Eleusis, where there was a threshing floor of Triptolemus, her first priest and inventor of agriculture; it was held in the month Poseideon (December).

(2) Chloia, the festival of the grain beginning to sprout, held at Eleusis in the early spring (Anthesterion) in honour of Demeter Chloë (“the Green”), the goddess of growing vegetation. This festival is to be distinguished from the later sacrifice of a ram to the same goddess on the sixth of the month Thargelion, probably intended as an act of propitiation. (3) Proerosia, at which prayers were offered for an abundant harvest, before the land was plowed for sowing. It was also called Proarktouria, an indication that it was held before the rising of Arcturus. The festival took place, probably sometime in September, at Eleusis. (4) Thalysia, a thanksgiving festival held in autumn after the harvest in the island of Cos. (5) The Thesmophoria , a women’s festival meant to improve the fruitfulness of the seed grain. (6) The Skirophoria held in midsummer, a companion festival. Her attributes were connected chiefly with her character as goddess of agriculture and vegetation—ears of grain, the mystic basket filled with flowers, grain, and fruit of all kinds.

The pig was her favourite animal, and as a chthonian (underworld) deity she was accompanied by a snake. In Greek art Demeter resembled Hera , but she was more matronly and of milder expression; her form was broader and fuller. She was sometimes riding in a chariot drawn by horses or dragons, sometimes walking, or sometimes seated upon a throne, alone or with her daughter. The Romans identified Demeter with Ceres . Learn More in these related articles: Persephone Persephone by Micha F. Lindemans Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter , goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful young woman that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. One day, when she was collecting flowers on the plain of Enna, the earth suddenly opened and Hades rose up from the gap and abducted her. None but Zeus, and the all-seeing sun, Helios , had noticed it. Broken-hearted, Demeter wandered the earth, looking for her daughter until Helios revealed what had happened. Demeter was so angry that she withdrew herself in loneliness, and the earth ceased to be fertile.

Knowing this could not continue much longer, Zeus sent Hermes down to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate (or the seeds of a pomegranate, according to some sources). When she later ate of it, it bound her to underworld forever and she had to stay there one-third of the year. The other months she stayed with her mother. When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. In the Eleusinian mysteries , this happening was celebrated in honor of Demeter and Persephone, who was known in this cult as Kore. The Romans called her Proserpine . Her names means something like "she who destroys the light." Article details: Greek Mythology: Demeter Greek Mythology Wednesday, 9 October 2013 Demeter Demeter was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea , and sister of Hestia , Hera , Hades , Poseidon , and Zeus .

Like the other children of Cronus, she was devoured by her father, but he have her forth again after taking the emetic (causing vomiting) which Metis had given him. By her brother Zeus, Demeter became the mother of Persephone , and by Poseidon of Despoena and the horse Arion. Demeter mourning for Persephone Demeter was goddess of harvest and fertility of the earth. Her greatest gift to mankind were wheat and corn, and the knowledge of agricultural techniques. Demeter is best remembered for her role in the story of Persephone ( abduction of Persephone or rape of Persephone) in which her lack of attention to harvest causes a famine. Demeter was sometimes worshiped as a divinity of the underworld and as a goddess of health, birth and marriage. Related Greek Mythology: Demeter Greek Mythology Goddess of: Harvest, grain, and fertility Symbols: Wheat, cornucopia, torch, swine Parents: Cronus and Rhea Spouse: none (but had children with Zeus and Poseidon) Abode: Mount Olympus Roman name: Ceres Demeter is the Greek goddess of the harvest, grain, and fertility.

She is one of the Twelve Olympian gods that live on Mount Olympus. Because she was the goddess of the harvest, she was very important to the farmers and peasant people of Greece. How was Demeter usually pictured? Demeter was often pictured as a mature woman sitting on a throne. She wore a crown and carried a torch or sheaves of wheat. When Demeter was traveling she rode a golden chariot pulled by dragons. What special powers and skills did she have? Like all the Olympian gods, Demeter was immortal and very powerful. She had control over the harvest and the growing of grains. She could cause plants to grow (or not grow) and had control over the seasons. She also had some control over the weather and could make people hungry. Birth of Demeter Demeter was the daughter of the two great Titans Cronus and Rhea. Like her brothers and sisters, she was swallowed by her father Cronus when she was born. However, she was later rescued by her youngest brother Zeus. Goddess of the Harvest As goddess of the harvest, Demeter was worshiped by the people of Greece as they depended on good crops for food and survival.

The main temple to Demeter was located a short distance from the city of Athens in a sanctuary at Eleusis. Secret rites were held each year at the sanctuary called the Eleusinian Mysteries. The Greeks believed these rites were important in insuring good crops. Persephone Demeter didn't marry, but she had a daughter named Persephone with her brother Zeus. Persephone was the goddess of springtime and vegetation. Together, Demeter and Persephone watched over the world's seasons and plants. One day, the god Hades took Persephone to the Underworld to make her his wife. Demeter became very sad. She refused to help the crops grow and there was a great famine in the world. Eventually, Zeus said that Persephone could return to Mount Olympus, but had to spend four months each year in the Underworld with Hades. These four months are when nothing grows during winter. Triptolemus When Persephone was first taken by Hades, Demeter wandered the world disguised as an old woman mourning and searching for her daughter. One man was particularly kind to her and took her in. As a reward, she taught his son Triptolemus the art of agriculture.

According to Greek Mythology, Triptolemus then traveled across Greece on a winged chariot teaching the Greeks how to grow crops and farm. Interesting Facts About the Greek Goddess Demeter She gave birth to a flying and talking horse named Arion. As a reward to a kind man, she tried to make his baby immortal by placing him in a fire. The mother, however, caught her in the act and pulled the baby from the fire. She is often pictured with flaming torches because she used these in her search for her daughter. She carried a long golden sword in battle which earned her the nickname "Lady of the Golden Blade." Animals that were sacred to Demeter included the serpent, gecko, and pig. Take a ten question quiz about this page. For more about Ancient Greece: Overview Persephone - The Wife of Hades Persephone Previous Page The Daughter of Demeter and Zeus Persephone is the beautiful daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Persephone and Demeter are called the Holy Twain and usually worshipped together even though their divine duties are quite opposite from one another. Demeter is the goddess of the Harvest ... she is responsible for the nourishment of all life-giving plants that grow on the earth ...

the wellbeing of every mortal is inextricably linked to Demeter and her blessings. Persephone is not a goddess of life and prosperity ... she is the queen of the dead ... the bride of Hades. Persephone became Hades's bride completely against her will but she eventually accepted her fate and now spends one-third of each year in the House of Hades and the other two-thirds with her mother. This arrangement came about after Persephone had been kidnapped and Demeter's rage brought the world to the brink of destruction. Hades was smitten with love for stunning young Persephone and plotted with Zeus to have her as his wife. Hades did not woo Persephone in any type of traditional way ... he did not ask Demeter's permission but he did receive Zeus's help in underhandedly possessing the young Maid ... Hades abducted Persephone and took her to his Underworld kingdom against her will. While at play with several daughters of Okeanos [Ocean] as well as other goddesses, Persephone was picking flowers ... but these weren't earthly flowers ...

these flowers were the work of Zeus and put there for "a girl with a flower's beauty." The flowers were there to ensnare Persephone in a trap, a beautiful, divine trap. The trigger for the trap was an irresistible flower with one hundred stems of fragrant blossoms. When Persephone reached out with both hands to pluck the flower, the earth opened at her feet and Hades roared forth in his golden chariot and seized her before an alarm could be raised. The place where Hades emerged from the earth to take Persephone was on the island of Sicily near Syracuse. No mortal on the earth heard Persephone's cries for help before she vanished into the Underworld. Her goddess playmates were unaware of what had happened to Persephone and only two Immortals heard the faint cries of the abducted girl ... the Roaring Goddess Hekate and Helios [Sun]. Demeter became frantic when she realized that Persephone was missing ... she began an exhaustive search but all efforts were in vain. Her sorrow was so great that she denied herself food, drink, and comfort for nine days.

When Eos [Dawn] took to the skies on the tenth day, Hekate came to Demeter and told her that she had heard a voice but had not actually seen the abduction of Persephone. The two goddesses went to Helios because he sees all mortal and Immortal actions. Helios, indeed, knew the plot and the players. He told Demeter that the abduction was the work of Zeus and Hades. He further advised her to accept the situation because Hades was the Lord of Many and "not an unseemly bridegroom." Demeter did not like his advice and choose instead a long, brooding path to regain her precious daughter. In a strange act of revenge, Demeter, disguised as a mature woman, settled in the city of Eleusis and became the nanny of Demophoon, the infant son of King Keleos and Queen Metaneira. The boy was being raised to be noble and pure but Demeter seemed to be stealing the boy's affection and loyalty away from his parents ... just as her daughter had been stolen from her.

One night she was caught transforming the young boy into an Immortal by placing him in the fireplace and cleansing him with fire but before Demeter [still in disguise] could make Demophoon immortal, Queen Metaneira recognized Demeter for the goddess she was and stopped the ceremony. When Demeter cast her disguise away and revealed her divinity, King Keleos and the other nobles of Eleusis were glad to oblige when Demeter demanded that a temple be built in her honor. After it was completed, she retreated into the temple and her brooding took on a deadly turn. The following year, no seed sprouted on the earth ... no barley grew in the plowed fields ... the mortals of the earth were doomed to famine and eventual destruction if Demeter did not lift her curse. Zeus sent the goddess Iris to dissuade Demeter from her destructive course but Demeter was unmoved. In turn, Zeus sent a procession of Immortals to Demeter's temple to beg the goddess to change her mind and give life back to the earth. She refused them all. Persephone and Hades Zeus realized that he would have to negotiate a suitable agreement between Hades and Demeter before the earth became a barren wasteland.

He sent Hermes to the House of Hades to speak with Hades and Persephone. He also sent Rheia, Demeter's mother, to Eleusis to offer Demeter honors if she would only return to Mount Olympos. Demeter was moved by her mother's plea and Zeus's promises ... she was open for some sort of compromise. Hades agreed to allow Persephone to return to her mother but before Persephone left the Underworld, Hades gave her a pomegranate seed to eat. By doing this he bound her to himself and his kingdom. When Demeter found out about the trickery she was angry but she was also resigned to the fact that there was nothing she could do ... her loving daughter was bound to the lord of the dead forever. With no alternative, it was agreed that Persephone would spend part of the year with her husband and part of the year in the sunlight with her mother. When Persephone is with Hades the earth is wracked by the sorrow of Demeter but when Persephone returns from the House of Hades to walk the earth again, Demeter pours forth the blessings of Spring to welcome her beloved daughter home.

The Eleusinian Mysteries The Eleusinian Mysteries were established to celebrate the return of Persephone to Demeter from the Underworld. The festival of the Greater Mysteries was celebrated at the city of Eleusis which is 15 miles [24 kilometers] northwest of Athens. The ceremonies and procession for the sacred event began in Athens on the fifteenth day of Boedromion [approximately the second week of September by our calendar] and lasted from seven to nine days. The Eleusinian Mysteries included the worship of Demeter, Persephone and Iakchos as Bacchus [a.k.a. Dionysos, god of Wine]. Most of the ceremonies were public but only initiates were allowed to participate in the final rituals. The rites are called Mysteries because the Greek word Mystes [Μύστῑς] means One Initiated. Persephone and Demeter as The Holy Twain. There were several stages of initiation. The rites of the Lesser Mysteries were held in the spring and dedicated to Persephone. The Lesser Mysteries involved the ritual purification of the candidates for initiation. The Greater Mysteries were held in the fall and dedicated to Demeter.

The initiates were called Epoptes, i.e. One Who Has Seen. The only Greek citizens who were excluded from the ceremonies were people with Blood Guilt, i.e. those who had killed. Men, women and slaves were allowed to take part in the ceremonies. All Greek cities honored the sanctity of the celebration of the Eleusinian Mysteries by instituting a truce that would temporarily halt wars and conflicts. This would allow participants to travel to and from Athens and Eleusis without worrying about local and national disputes. The rituals of the Greater Mysteries were scrupulously guarded and all sincere initiates honored the secrets of the ceremonies ... ancient writers who dared to expound on the subject were probably not initiates and were just guessing as to the actual rites performed at Eleusis. The rites performed in Athens were called the City Eleusinion ... this ceremony was public and conducted at the temple for Demeter and Persephone located between the Acropolis and the Agora. In preparation for the procession to Eleusis, sacred ritual objects were brought from the temple at Eleusis and stored in the Eleusinion.

After a ritual cleansing and purification, participants would gather at the Sacred Gates near the Kerameikos cemetery and then walk from Athens to Eleusis on what was called the Sacred Way. The priests and priestesses of Demeter would lead the procession carrying a wooden statue of Iakchos and other sacred objects hidden in wooden boxes destined for the Telesterion in Eleusis where the final and most secret rites were performed. The members of the procession chanted the name of Iakchos as they walked and would stop briefly at shrines of Apollon and Aphrodite along the road. Masked men were stationed along the Sacred Way to insult the participants in order to humble them before they reached Eleusis. Upon reaching Eleusis, the participants would fast until the following morning. The initiates were then permitted to enter the Telesterion where the sacred objects were revealed. All that the initiates were permitted to say about the ceremonies was that things were spoken, seen and performed. Once the final rites were complete, a night of feasting and revelry began. A bull was sacrificed and libations were poured honoring the dead. The Underworld Persephone and Hades preside over the dead in the Underworld.

There are purported to have been several entrances to the Underworld but the only hint as to its location is that it is near the dwelling of Nyx [Night] which is assumed to be somewhere in the "east." At the entrance to Hades's echoing halls, the ever vigilant, three-headed dog Kerberos stands guard. As fierce as he seems, he does not prevent anyone from entering the House of Hades ... in fact, he fawns and wags his tail to welcome those who enter. His real countenance comes forth when someone tries to leave the Underworld without Lord Hades's permission. Persephone reigns over the dead souls of the Underworld in a way that compliments Hades's ultimate authority. When the seer Tiresias died, Persephone granted him wisdom and everlasting vision while the remainder of the dead souls were doomed to be nothing but "empty, flitting shades." Her supervision of the "shades" that were allowed to speak to Odysseus when he was at the entrance to the Underworld was readily apparent ... it seemed to Odysseus that Persephone controlled the dead with absolute fear ... she drove the masses of souls to and fro ...

their mournful cries chilled Odysseus's blood ... he finally fled in terror because he felt sure that Persephone would send some hideous Gorgon's head after him. Hagne, the Holy One As dark and foreboding as Persephone might seem, she also has genuine sympathy for the dead souls she supervises. There are three instances that deserve mentioning: Orpheus and Eurydike When Eurydike died, her husband Orpheus was so grieved and distracted by his loss, he decided to go to the Underworld to retrieve his beloved wife. Orpheus was without doubt, the greatest musician who ever lived ... he could charm any living thing with his music. When he reached the Underworld, he played his lyre for Persephone and she was enchanted ... she persuaded the reluctant Hades to release Eurydike and allow her to go back to the land of the living. Hades placed one condition on Eurydike's freedom ... he told Orpheus that he must walk ahead of Eurydike and not look back to see if she was following him ... if he looked back, Eurydike would have to return to the Underworld.

Eurydike left the House of Hades and began to follow Orpheus back to the surface of the earth. Orpheus tried to resist the urge to look back but his doubt overcame his faith ... he turned around and saw Eurydike behind him ... to his horror, her body, which was beginning to substantialize, evaporated and Eurydike was returned into the House of Hades as a phantom. Sthenelos Herakles led an army against the Amazons as his Ninth Labor, Retrieving the Belt of Hippolyte ... Sthenelos was part of that army. During the battle with the Amazons, Sthenelos was killed ... Herakles buried Sthenelos on the shores of the Euxine [Black Sea]. On their Quest for the Golden Fleece, Jason and the Argonauts sailed past the tomb of Sthenelos ... when they paused to honor the fallen hero, Persephone allowed Sthenelos to rise from his barrow and look upon the Argonauts and their ship because he had once been such a soldier and sailed in such a ship. Pindar The importance of Pindar as a poet cannot be overstressed ...

he was a man of far reaching fame and afforded genuine respect by all Greeks. When Alexander the Great destroyed the city of Thebes in 335 BCE, Pindar had been dead for one hundred years. Because Pindar had been a Theban, Alexander gave specific instructions that no relative of Pindar was to be harmed nor their property damaged. Ten days before Pindar died he had a dream sent by Persephone ... she scolded the poet for never composing an ode for her ... in the dream, she told him that when he came to her in the Underworld, he would honor her with one of his poems ... he died within ten days after having the dream. After his death, an old woman who was related to Pindar had a dream ... in the dream Pindar stood beside her and sang a song for Persephone ... the woman wrote down the song which contained a clear reference to the goddess. Persephone and Timoleon For those of you who mistakenly believe that Persephone is somehow "mythological" or imaginary, the case of Timoleon and the invasion of Sicily should serve to dissuade you of such naïve notions.

The historian Diodorus Siculus relates an interesting story concerning the intervention of Persephone and Demeter with the future of Sicily. Circa 337 BCE, the Athenians mounted an invasion of Sicily to oust the tyrant Dionysius II. A man named Timoleon was selected to lead an army against Dionysius but the number of troops at his disposal was barely adequate to do the job. Before Timoleon sailed for Sicily, he stopped in Corinth to consult the priestesses of Demeter and Persephone and seek their blessings. The priestesses told him that the goddesses had told them of his coming and that they had received favorable dreams during the night concerning him and his expedition to Sicily ... the priestesses informed Timoleon that the goddesses would guide and protect him to insure his victory over Dionysius as well as the Carthaginians on Sicily. As if on cue, a blazing torch appeared in the western sky indicating Timoleon's route to Sicily ... he and his men had no doubt that the goddesses would give them a victory even though they were greatly outnumbered. The blazing torch remained visible until the fleet reached Sicily.

The fighting was fierce but Timoleon was victorious on land and sea. The island of Sicily has always been sacred to Demeter and Persephone ... it's no wonder that the goddesses would lend their protection to Timoleon ... he was a pious man trying to free the islanders from an indulgent tyrant ... the Holy Twain approved of the man and his quest. This event was witnessed by nearly a thousand individuals ... the only element of this story that is disputed is whether one of Timoleon's ships was named The Sacred Ship of Demeter and Persephone before or after his visit to the temple of the goddesses. Persephone and Hades Greek & Roman Mythology - Tools DEMETER Form: in Greek mythology. Daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her name signifies Mother Earth, the meaning being that she was goddess of agriculture and the civilization based upon it. Her children are, by Iasion, a son Plutus, the god of riches, and by her brother Zeus, a daughter Persephone. Round Demeter and this daughter centre her worship and the fables respecting her.

Hfid6s carries off Persephone, and Demeter wanders nine days over the earth seeking her, till on the tenth day she learns the trutb from the all-seeing sun. She is wrath with Zeus for permitting the act of violence, and she visits Olympus and wanders about among men in the form of an old woman under the name of Deo or the Seeker, till at length, at Elensis, in Attica, she is kindly received at the house of king Celeus, and finds comfort in tend ing his newly born son Demophoon. Surprised by his mother in the act of trying to make the child immortal by putting it in the fire, she reveals her deity, and causes a temple to he built to her, in which she gives herself up to her grief. In her wrath she makes the earth barren, so that man kind are threatened with destruction by famine, as she does not allow the fruit of the earth to spring up again until her daughter is allowed to spend two-thirds of the year with her. On her return to Olympus she leaves the gift of corn, of agriculture, and of her holy mysteries with her host, as a token of grateful recollection.

She sends Triptolemus the Eleusinian round the world on her chariot, drawn by serpents, to diffuse the knowledge of agriculture and other blessings accompanying it, the settlement of fixed places of abode, civil order, and wedlock. Thus Demeter was worshipped as the goddess of agriculture and foundress of law, order, and especially of marriage, in all places where Greeks dwelt, her daughter being usually associated with her. (See THESMOPHORIA .) The most ancient seat of her worship was Athens and Eleusis, where the Rharian plain was solemnly ploughed every year in memory of the first sowing of wheat. She was also much worshipped in Sicily, which from its fertility was accounted one of her favourite places of abode (see ELEUSINIA ). As the goddess of fertility, Demeter was in many regions associated with Poseidon, the god of fertilizing water. This was particularly the case in Arcadia, where Poseidon was regarded as the father of Persephone.

She was also joined with Dionysus, the god of wine, and, as mother of Persephone and goddess of the earth, to which not only the seed, but the dead are committed, she is connected with the lower world under the name of Chthonia. In later times she was often confused with Gaia and Rhea, or Cybele. Besides fruit and honeycombs, the cow and the sow were offered to her, both as emblems of productivity. Her attributes are poppies and ears of corn (also a symbol of fruitfulness), a basket of fruit and a little pig. Other emblems had a mystic significance, as the torch and the serpent, as living in the earth, and as symbolizing a renewal of life by shedding its skin. The Romans identified her with their own Ceres. Pictures and Media Greek Mythology: Zeus and Persephone Thursday, 24 October 2013 Zeus and Persephone Persephone , the goddess of spring, before she became queen of underworld (before her abduction to Hades ). Most of the gods wanted to make her their bride. Hermes offered his rod as gift, Apollo produced his melodious harp as a marriage gift.

Ares brought spear and cuirass for the wedding and shield as bride gift. Hephaestus bring necklace of many colours as a gift. Even Persephone beauty could not escaped the allseeing eyes of Zeus . Demeter, mother of Persephone, reject all gifts sent to Persephone. Demeter worried about her daughter, so she went to the house of Astraios , the god of prophecy or more specifically astrology. Astraios told Demeter to guard her daughter against a robber-bridegroom and before marriage a false and secret bedfellow will come unforeseen, a half monster and cunning mind. Demeter hid her gorgeous young daughter, in a cave deep under ground and two dragons were placed to gard the cave. Zeus was bewitched by Persephone beauty and somehow found out the cave where Demeter had hid her. Zeus transformed himself into a dragon, lulled the two dragons into sleep, who were guarding the cave, and managed to get inside the cave. Where he seduce, his own daughter, Persephone virgin body in form of dragon. With their union, Zagreus was born.

Later when Persephone became queen of underworld, she was again seduce by Zeus but this time disguised as her husband, Hades. Melinoe was said to be born from this union. Post Related: DEMETER MYTHS 3 LOVES - Greek Mythology Demeter and Plutus, Apulian red-figure loutrophoros C4th B.C., The J. Paul Getty Museum DEMETER was the Olympian goddess of agriculture, grain and bread. This page describes the family and consorts of the goddess including Zeus, Poseidon and the mortal Iasion. (1) DIVINE LOVES (GODS) POSEIDON The god of the sea pursued Demeter when she was mourning the loss of her daughter Persephone. The goddess took the form of a horse and hid amongst the herds of Arkadian Onkios, where Poseidon found her ans assuming the form of a stallion raped the goddess. She bore him two children--the horse Areion and the goddess Despoine. ZEUS The king of the gods and Demeter mated in the form of intertwining serpents. From this union the goddess Persephone was born.

(2) MORTAL LOVES (MEN) IASION A prince of the island of Samothrake or Krete (Greek Aegean) who lay with Demeter in a thrice ploughed field and was struck down by a thunderbolt by the jealous Zeus. She bore him twin sons, Ploutos and Philomelos. KARMANOR (Carmanor) A Lord of Tarrha on the island of Krete (Greek Aegean) who was loved by the goddess Demeter. She bore him a son Eubouleos and a daughter Khrysothemis. He was probably the same as Iasion. [See Family ] MEKON (Mecon) A man loved by the goddess Demeter who was metamorphosed into a poppy flower. (3) DIVINE OFFSPRING AREION (Arion) An immortal horse owned by the hero Herakles and later Adrastos. He was the offspring of Demeter who was raped by Poseidon in the guise of a horse. DESPOINE (Despoena) The goddess of certain Arkadian Mysteries. She was a daughter of Poseidon and Demeter.

EUBOULEUS The demi-god of the ploughed earth. He was a son of Karmanor and Demeter. Eubouleus may be the same as Philomelos. KHRYSOTHEMIS (Chrysothemis) A demi-goddess of the harvest festival. She was a daughter of Karmanor and Demeter. KORYBAS (Corybas) The leader of the Samothracian Korybantes. He was a son of Demeter and Iasion. PERSEPHONE The queen of the underworld, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was abducted to the Underworld by Haides Lord of the Dead, and Demeter searched relentlessly for her. Upon discovering her fate, she brought famine down upon the earth until Zeus agreed to her return. PHILOMELOS or BOOTES (Philomelus) The demi-god inventor of the wagon and ploughshare. He was a son of Iasion and Demeter. PLOUTOS (Plutus) The god of agicultural wealth. He was a son of Iasion and Demeter.

GENEALOGICAL LISTING OFFSPRING [1.1] PERSEPHONE (by Zeus ) (Hesiod Theogony 912, Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter, Apollodorus 1.29, Pausanias, Ovid Metamorphoses 5.501, Ovid Fasti 4.575, Nonnus Dionysiaca 5.562, et al) [2.1] PLOUTOS (by Iasion ) (Hesiod Theogony 969, Diodorus Siculus 5.48.2) [2.2] PLOUTOS , PHILOMELOS (by Iasion ) (Hyginus Astronomica 2.4) [3.1] KORYBAS (by Iasion ) (Diodorus Siculus 5.48.2) [4.1] AREION (by Poseidon ) (Apollodorus 3.77) [4.2] DESPOINE (by Poseidon ) (Callimachus Frag 652) [4.3] DESPOINE , AREION

 (by Poseidon ) (Pausanias 8.25.5) [5.1] EUBOULEUS (Diodorus Siculus 5.76.3) [5.2] EUBOULEUS ?

(by Karmanor ) (Pausanias 2.30.3) [6.1] KHRYSOTHEMIS ? (by Karmanor ) (Pausanias 10.7.2 & 10.16.5) CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES FAMILY ON OLYMPUS (HOME OF THE GODS) LOVED : 1. Zeus, king of the gods. MOTHERED : 1. Persephone, goddess of the grain. See Demeter Loves: Zeus (this page) FAMILY IN CRETE (GREEK AEGEAN) LOVED : 1. Iasion, Kretan lord; 2 - 3. Karmanor, lord of Tarrhos. MOTHERED : 1. Ploutos, god of wealth; 2. Eubouleus, demi-god; 3. Khrysothemis, demi-goddess. 1) PLOUTOS Agricultural God See Demeter Loves: Iasion (this page) 2) EUBOULEUS Agricultural Demi-God Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 30. d (trans.

Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "The Kretans say (the story of Aphaia [Britomartis] is Kretan) that Karmanor . . . was the father of Eubouleus." Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 16. 5 : "The house of Karmanor in the city of Tarrha." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 76. 3 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) : "Karme, the daughter of Euboulos who was the son of Demeter." 3) KHRYSOTHEMIS Demi-goddess Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 7. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "Khrysothemis of Krete, whose father Karmanor." FAMILY IN SAMOTHRACE (GREEK AEGEAN) LOVED : 1. Iasion, prince of Samothrake. MOTHERED : 1. Ploutos, god of wealth.

See Demeter Loves: Iasion (this page) FAMILY IN ARCADIA (SOUTHERN GREECE) LOVED : 1 - 2. Poseidon, god of water. MOTHERED : 1. Despoine, mystery goddess; 2. Areion, immortal horse. See Demeter Loves: Poseidon (this page) DEMETER LOVES : ZEUS LOCALE : Non-specific Hesiod, Theogony 912 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : "Also he [Zeus] came to the bed of all-nourishing Demeter, and she bare white-armed Persephone whom Aidoneus carried off from her mother; but wise Zeus gave her to him." Homer, Iliad 14. 326 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "[Zeus names his most pleasurable liaisons :] ‘I loved the queen Demeter of the lovely tresses.’" In the Orphic myths Demeter and Zeus coupled in the guise of serpents.

DEMETER LOVES : POSEIDON LOCALE : Arkadia (Southern Greece) Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 77 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Demeter bore this horse [Areion] to Poseidon, after having sex with him in the likeness of an Erinys." Callimachus, Fragment 207 (from Scholiast on Lycophron 1225) (trans. Trypanis) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) : "Her [Despoine] he [Poseidon] begat with Erinys Tilphosa [Demeter]." Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 25. 5 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "When Demeter was wandering in search of her daughter, she was followed, it is said, by Poseidon, who lusted after her. So she turned, the story runs, into a mare, and grazed with the mares of Ogkios [in Arkadia]; realising that he was outwitted, Poseidon changed into a stallion and enjoyed Demeter.

At first, they say, Demeter was angry at what had happened, but later on she laid aside her wrath and wished to bathe in the Ladon . . . Demeter, they say, had by Poseidon a daughter, whose name they are not wont to divulge to the uninitiated, and a horse called Areion . . . In the Iliad there are verses about Areion himself : ‘Not even if he drive divine Areion behind, the swift horse of Adrastos, who was of the race of the gods.’ In the Thebaid it is said that Adrastos fled from Thebes : ‘Wearing wretched clothes, and with him dark-maned Areion.’ They will have it that the verses obscurely hint that Poseidon was father to Areion, but Antimakhos says that Gaia (Earth) was his mother." Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 37. 1 : "From Akakesion [in Arkadia] it is four stades to the sanctuary of Depoine . . . [The statue of] Demeter carries a torch in her right hand; her other hand she has laid upon Despoine . . .

This Despoine the Arkadians worship more than any other god, declaring that she is a daughter of Poseidon and Demeter. Despoine is her surname among the many, just as they surname Demeter's daughter by Zeus Kore . . . Beyond the grove [of the sanctuary] are altars of Hippios (Horse) Poseidon, as being the father of Despoine." Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 42. 1 : "Mount Elaios [in Arkadia] . . . has a cave sacred to Demeter surnamed Melaina (the Black). The Phigalians accept the account of the people of Thelpousa about the mating of Poseidon and Demeter, but they assert that Demeter gave birth, not to a horse but to Despoine, as the Arkadians call her. Afterwards, they say, angry with Poseidon and grieved at the rape of Persephone, she put on black apparel and shut herself up in this cavern for a long time.

But when the fruits of the earth were perishing, and the human race dying yet more through famine, no god, it seemed, knew where Demeter was hiding, until Pan, they say, visited Arkadia. Roaming from mountain to mountain as he hunted, he came at last to Mount Elaios and spied Demeter, the state she was in and the clothes she wore. So Zeus learnt this from Pan, and sent the Moirai (Fates) to Demeter, who listened to the Moirai and laid aside her wrath, moderating her grief as well." Aelian, On Animals 10. 40 (trans. Schofield) (Greek natural history C2nd to 3rd A.D.) : "The water of the river of Arkadia known as the Styx cuts through all vessels, even though they be made of iron . . . It was Demeter who caused this water to well up [from the underworld] in the neighbourhood of Pheneus [presumably after being raped by Poseidon]." Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 3 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans.

Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) : "Concerning the water of the Styx in Arkadia he [Hephaestion] recounts the following: while Demeter was mourning for her daughter, Poseidon intruded on her sorrow and she in anger metamorphosed into a mare; she arrived at a fountain in this form and detesting it she made the water black." Ovid, Metamorphoses 6. 118 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "The corn's most gracious mother [Demeter], golden-haired, suffered him [Poseidon] as a horse." For MORE information on this god see POSEIDON DEMETER LOVES : IASION LOCALE : Samothrake (Greek Aegean) OR Krete (Greek Aegean) Hesiod, Theogony 969 ff (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : "Demeter, bright goddess, was joined in sweet love with the hero Iasion in a thrice-ploughed fallow in the rich land of Krete, and bare Ploutos (Wealth), a kindly god who goes everywhere over land and the sea's wide back, and him who finds him and into whose hands he comes he makes rich, bestowing great wealth upon him." Hesiod, Catalogues of Women Fragment 102 (from Oxyrhynchus Papyri 1359 fr. 2) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : "Elektra was subject to [Zeus] the dark-clouded Son of Kronos and bare Dardanos [text missing] . . and Eetion [text missing] . . who once greatly loved rich-haired Demeter. And cloud-gathering Zeus was wroth and smote him, Eetion, and laid him low with a flaming thunderbolt, because he sought to lay hands upon rich-haired Demeter." Homer, Odyssey 5.

125 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "Kalypso shuddered, and her words came forth in rapid flight [when the gods insisted she release Odysseus from her island : ‘You are merciless, you gods, resentful beyond all other beings; you are jealous if without disguise a goddess makes a man her bedfellow, her beloved husband . . . So it was when Demeter of the braided tresses followed her heart and lay in love with Iasion in the triple-furrowed field; Zeus was aware of it soon enough and hurled the bright thunderbolt and killed him.’" [N.B. "Triple-furrowed field." The cutting of three furrows was part of the fertility rites inaugurating the agricultural year.] Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 138 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Elektra, the daughter of Atlas, and Zeus were the parents of Iasion and Dardanos.

Now Iasion had a lust for Demeter and was hit by a thunderbolt as he was about to attack her." Strabo, Geography Book 7 Fragment 47 (trans. Jones) (Greek geographer C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "Iasion and Dardanos, two brothers, used to live in Samothrake. But when Iasion was struck by a thunderbolt because of his sin against Demeter, Dardanos sailed away from Samothrake, went and took up his abode at the foot of Mount Ida, calling the city Dardania, and taught the Trojans the Samothrakian Mysteries." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 48. 2 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) : "There were born in that land [of Samothrake] to Zeus and Elektra, who was one of the Atlantides, Dardanos and Iasion and Harmonia . . .

Zeus desired that the other of his two sons [Iasion] might also attain honour, and so he instructed him in the initiatory rites of the mysteries [of Samothrake], which had existed on the island since ancient times but was at that time, so to speak, put in his hands; it is not lawful, however, for any but the initiated to hear about the mysteries. And Iasion is reputed to have been the first to initiate strangers into them and by this means to bring the initiatory rite to high esteem. After this Kadmos, the son of Agenor, came in the course of his quest for Europe to the Samothrakians, and after participating in the initiation [into the Mysteries] he married Harmonia, who was the sister of Iasion . . . This wedding of Kadmos and Harmonia was the first, we are told, for which the gods provided the marriage-feast, and Demeter, becoming enamoured of Iasion, presented him with the fruit of the corn . . . Iasion married Kybele [here Kybele is identified with Demeter instead of Rhea] and begat Korybas [leader of Kybele's Korybantes].

And after Iasion had been removed into the circle of the gods, Dardanos and Kybele [Demeter] and Korybas conveyed to Asia the sacred rites of the Mother of the Gods and removed with them to Phrygia . . . To Iasion and Demeter, according to the story the myths relate, was born Ploutos (Wealth), but the reference is, as a matter of fact, to the wealth of the corn, which was presented to Iasion because of Demeter's association with him at the time of the wedding of Harmonia." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 77. 1 : "Ploutos, we are told, was born in Kretan Tripolos to Demeter and Iasion, and there is a double account of his origin. For some men say that the earth, when it was sowed once by Iasion and given proper cultivation, brought forth such and abundance of fruits that those who saw this bestowed a special name upon the abundance of fruits when they appear and called it ploutos (wealth) . . .

But there are some who recount the myth that a son was born to Demeter and Iasion whom they named Ploutos, and that he was the first to introduce diligence into the life of man and the acquisition and safeguarding of property, all men up to that time having been neglectful of amassing and guarding diligently any store of property." Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 270 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Those who were most handsome. Iasion, son of Ilithius, whom Ceres [Demeter] is said to have loved." Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 4 : "[Constellation Bootes :] Hermippus [Greek poet C5th B.C.], who wrote about the stars, says that Ceres [Demeter] lay with Iasion, son of Thuscus. Many agree with Homer that for this he was struck with a thunderbolt. From them, as Petellides, Cretan writer of histories, shows, two sons were born, Philomelus and Plutus." Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2.

22 : "Others have called them [the twins of the constellation Gemini] Hercules and Apollo; some, even Triptolemus, whom we mentioned before, and Iasion, beloved of Ceres [Demeter]--both carried to the stars." Ovid, Metamorphoses 9. 420 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "A rumbling argument arose in heaven, the gods all grumbling why others should not be allowed to grant such gifts [the rejuvenating power of the goddess Hebe]. Pallantias [Eos] grumbled at her husband's [Tithonos'] age, and gentle Ceres [Demeter] that Iasion was going grey." For MORE information on his hero see IASION SOURCES

Question: In Greek mythology who was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter?
Answer: Persephone